The present invention generally relates to the field of computer-based information handling systems, and particularly to a method and system for managing data transmission.
It is often desirable to provide a communications link between a computer-based information handling system and a remote device or another computer-based information handling system. Such a communications link may comprise a direct link transmission line or network, or a wireless link or network. For example, a first information handling system may transmit data over a transmission link to a remote information handling system via a modem or similar communications device. Often, the data is transmitted during a higher priority time period such that no interruption or delay in the transmission is desired. While the data is transmitted during a higher priority time period, the first information handling system may have lower priority data such as a printing job to be sent during data transmission to be received by a remote device such as a printer or the second computer-based information handling system. The lower priority printer data is therefore adjunct to the higher priority modem data.
Prior art systems typically batch the print job to be sent immediately after completion of the data transmission, or time-division multiplex the data by integrating packets of the lower priority print job data with packets of the higher priority data at periodic intervals. However, batching of data transmissions does not account for the priority of data transmission since data is transmitted on a first in, first out (FIFO) basis. Thus, transmission of higher priority data may be delayed behind the transmission of lower priority data merely if the lower priority data were received to be transmitted prior to the higher priority data. Batching of data at the receiving end of most networks requires a computer system disposed at the receiving end of the transmission link to manage the batching of incoming data. However, such additional computer systems are typically unavailable or non-existent. Further, time-division multiplexing of lower priority data with high priority data introduces delay in the transmission of higher priority data or requires a higher bandwidth transmission line. Typically, the bandwidth of the transmission line is limited and cannot accommodate simultaneous transmission of both higher priority and lower priority data. It would therefore be desirable to be able to control the transmission of higher and lower priority data without interrupting or delaying higher priority data transmissions.
The present invention is directed to a method for managing the transmission of data having variable priority over a transmission link. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of receiving data to be transmitted over the transmission link, determining whether the data to be transmitted is higher priority data, transmitting the data over the transmission link in the event the data is determined to be higher priority data, saving the data in a memory until a lower priority time period in the event the data is not determined to be higher priority data, determining whether the present time period is a lower priority time period, transmitting the data saved in the memory over the transmission link in the event the present time period is determined to be a lower priority time period and there is no higher priority data remaining to be transmitted, and otherwise repeating the step of receiving data to be transmitted over the transmission link. The method may be tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium whose contents cause a computer-based information handling system to execute the method.
The present invention is also directed to a system for managing the transmission of data having variable priority over a transmission link. In one embodiment, the system includes a computer-based information handling system, a first device for interfacing with the transmission link and transmitting data from the computer-based information handling system over the transmission link, a second device for interfacing with the transmission link and receiving data transmitted over the transmission link, and a remote device coupled to the second device for receiving data from the second device that is transmitted over the transmission link.
It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.